ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. — The Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission is investigating the cause of death of a dolphin found dead Tuesday morning.
Authorities said a beachgoer reported it to a toll worker Tuesday south of the A Street beach access. Its carcass was found "heavily shark-scavenged," Marine Mammal Assistant Research Scientist Nadia Lentz said.
Lentz and St. Johns County Beach Services technicians Trevor Stevens and Grady Baxley, performed the initial stages of a necropsy, took photos and biological samples from the carcass and removed the dead dolphin in her vehicle, a press release from Beach Services said.
“It does appear that this dolphin was in poor body condition and had something going on prior to the sharks,” Lentz said.
People are urged to call the FWC hotline at 1-888-404-3922 if they see an injured, stranded, or dead animal on the beach or elsewhere.
Updates from St. Johns County Beach Services can be found on multiple social media platforms and the SJC Connect mobile app.
